In today's digital business world, data drives decision-making, making analytics skills a highly marketable asset for anyone preparing for a leadership role. Develop your proficiency in cutting-edge data tools and techniques with our Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics—and grow your confidence in harnessing the power of data to create smart business strategies.

Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics
Program Overview

  • Program Structure: 4–5 courses
  • Class Schedule: Monday–Thursday evenings at 5:20 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
  • Time to Complete: 1 to 3 years

Part-Time Graduate Certificate | Typical program timeline

*Starts in September or January. May be completed at a flexible pace but is usually completed in two years.

Unique Features

12 or 15

Credits may be applied toward a future MBA

Top 50

Among national universities (U.S. News & World Report)

The business learning you need

The business learning you need Opens in Modal
  • Learn the latest analytical methods for essential business practices, building your repertoire of skills for making decisions with data
  • Specialize your graduate certificate in business analytics with electives relevant to your goals, such as advanced data mining techniques, coding languages, visual dashboards, artificial intelligence, and machine learning
  • Build your confidence and experience through applied project work and case studies—key components of Northeastern's practice-oriented approach to learning
  • Access expert career guidance from an experienced counselor at Northeastern's office of Employer Engagement and Career Design
  • Complete your graduate certificate in business analytics in as few as four courses, with the option for one additional elective to deepen your knowledge
  • Build the foundation for a future master's degree from Northeastern—you may be able to apply your graduate certificate in business analytics credits toward an eligible master's program

Admissions

  • Interview required? Upon request.
  • English language proficiency: English proficiency, both written and verbal, is necessary for success in D'Amore-McKim classrooms. For more information, review our admissions policies.
  • GMAT Required? No.
  • Where do I apply? Learn more here.
  • Eligible for International Student Visa? No. This program is not F-1 visa compliant.

Part-Time Graduate Certificates

Application DeadlinesDecision NotificationsClasses Begin
Oct. 4, 2023Rolling BasisJanuary
Nov. 9, 2023Rolling BasisJanuary
Dec. 7, 2023Rolling BasisJanuary
Feb. 1, 2024Rolling BasisSeptember
March 21, 2024Rolling BasisSeptember
May 9, 2024Rolling BasisSeptember
June 7, 2024Rolling BasisSeptember
July 3, 2024Rolling BasisSeptember
Aug. 1, 2024Rolling BasisSeptember

Tuition

Northeastern Student Financial Services publishes the tuition rates for Graduate Certificates. Under the “Graduate Programs” section, the cost per credit appears next to “D'Amore-McKim School of Business Programs.”

Financial Aid

Northeastern offers resources to help you finance your graduate education, and the Student Financial Services team will guide you through your options. Please visit the Graduate Financial Aid page.

Once you are a student, your financial aid advisor will work with you one-on-one to answer your questions, point you to resources and provide valuable insight as you navigate the financial commitments of your program.

Scholarships

Northeastern University has a variety of scholarships. As a graduate certificate applicant you may be eligible for the Full Circle Scholarship. You may also qualify for funding support as an alum, U.S. servicemember, or veteran.

Application Fee Waivers

D'Amore-McKim offers application fee waivers to applicants that meet specific criteria. You can review the policy on the Graduate Application FAQ web page.

The D'Amore-McKim School of Business community stands with our university and its leadership in our dedication to cultivating equity and inclusion for all humankind. Understanding and solving our problems requires constant interaction among people who bring their own diverse contexts and experiences to the conversation. Therefore, we must be a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community that values the uniqueness of its members, recognizes the power and importance of diversity in our own and surrounding communities, and ensures their engaged participation.

Graduate Student Clubs  

There are numerous university-wide and D'Amore-McKim-affiliated student groups that you may wish to join, and several are grounded in building inclusive communities and resiliency. Many of our graduate business students participate in the Graduate Students of Color Collective, Grad Q, and Out in Business.

Campus Resources

Participate in community-building programs, lectures, and events offered by Northeastern's cultural centers representing a range of affiliations and interests including the LGBTQA Resource Center, Latinx Student Cultural Center, Asian American Center, Office of Global Services, and many more.

Curriculum

The Part-Time Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics—designed for working professionals in the Boston area—explores analytical methods that can be used to drive better outcomes across industries and business functions.

Your core coursework will deepen your knowledge of the major components of cutting-edge analytics and data science—statistical methods, data management, and visualizing and communicating data. You'll choose three or four electives on topics that support your career goals, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, advanced data mining techniques, or programming languages. No previous analytics background is required.

Required Course

Provides a comprehensive approach to understanding how business analytics enable companies to become more competitive. Offers students an opportunity to learn how to apply value chain analysis and other strategic perspectives to determine how business analytics can be integrated effectively into a firm's operations. Interactive activities such as simulations and case studies allow students to explore how insights from data can improve business decisions. Examines real-world examples of how companies have used business analytics perspectives and tools to enhance different types of business processes, such as inventory prediction, customer service quality, and resolution of ethical dilemmas.

MISM 6200 | 3 Hours

Electives (Choose 3-4)

Covers basic principles and techniques of descriptive and predictive analytics. What are the essential data analysis concepts underlying business analytics? Topics include descriptive statistics, data visualization, probability and modeling uncertainty, sampling, estimation and confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, analysis of variance, simple and multiple regression analysis, time-series analysis, and forecasting. Emphasizes an understanding of how these tools can support decision making and analytics initiatives in a business context with real-world examples and case studies. Uses various software packages for analyzing data sets and creating visualizations.

MISM 6202 | 3 Hours

Covers data wrangling principles and techniques for business. Key topics include data extraction, profiling, cleansing, integration, aggregation, transformation, and automating data processes for business purposes. Applies principles and techniques using data transformation tools, programming languages, and data process automation tools. Emphasizes embedding appropriate communication mechanisms for collaboration for identifying, solving, and resolving challenges revealed in datasets and business processes. Offers students an opportunity to learn data wrangling techniques to identify, solve, and resolve real-world data challenges, creating business value in today's disparate computing and dynamic business environment.

MISM 6205 | 3 Hours

Introduces key analytics methods for using data through the perspectives of applied statistics and operations analysis. Covers application of these methods to business areas including marketing, supply chain management, and finance. Topics include business-analytic thinking; application of business analytics solutions to business problems; data mining, supervised and unsupervised machine learning; methods for detecting co-occurrences and associations; and achieving and sustaining competitive advantage by using business analytics methods.

MISM 6203 | 3 Hours

Introduces design principles for creating meaningful displays of information to support effective business decision making. Studies how to collect and process data; create interactive visualizations; and use them to demonstrate or provide insight into a problem, situation, or phenomenon. Introduces methods to critique visualizations along with ways to identify design principles that make good visualizations effective. Discusses the challenges of making data understandable across a wide range of audiences. Provides an overview of data visualization, key design principles and techniques for visualizing data, and the fundamentals of communication that are required for effective data presentation. Other topics may include ethical uses of information displays, storytelling, infographics, immersive visualizations, and information dashboard design. Offers students an opportunity to use one or more software tools.

MISM 6210 | 3 Hours

Examines data mining perspectives and methods in a business context. Introduces the theoretical foundations for major data mining methods and studies how to select and use the appropriate data mining method and the major advantages for each. Students use contemporary data mining software applications and practice basic programming skills. Focuses on solving real-world problems, which require data cleaning, data transformation, and data modeling.

MISM 6212 | 3 Hours

Covers the leading data practices from early adopters, focusing on innovative information design, data quality, data sharing, and data integration perspectives and methods for managing data and business analytics. Explores how data analytics and management can be strategically implemented to transform a company. Discusses theories and contemporary industry practice, and real-world data and cases are used for discussion and projects. Offers students an opportunity to prepare for problem identification and solution perspectives of data-related projects, gearing up for MISM 6214.

MISM 6213 | 3 Hours

Designed to develop strategic decision-making skills using the latest analytics capabilities and enabler. Examines the state of the art in analytics capabilities and how these drive supply chains, from marketing to sourcing. Also examines how organizations use analytics to meet their strategic objectives, provide value to the business, and make decisions. Focuses on industry best practices, including studying some of the leading companies.

SCHM 6215 | 3 Hours

The following is a sample curriculum and is subject to change. Enrolled students should reference the academic catalog for current program requirements.

“Connect the dots you have, and build new links to cutting edge concepts in analytics and data science. We've designed this certificate to integrate immediately with your knowledge base, while also taking you to the frontier of analytics. It's a chance to see the business landscape with fresh eyes, and use data to make the big decisions.”

Kwong Chan, Executive Director, DATA Initiative
Faculty Director, MS in Business Analytics
Associate Academic Specialist, Marketing

Get in touch

Learn more about campus

Explore opportunities to connect with us and learn more about Northeastern University's world-class facilities.
Explore our Campus Explore our Campus

Upcoming Future Student Events

Apr 3

Get all of your application process questions answered and explore topics like financial aid, scholarships, and making your app stand out.

Apr 10

Get all of your application process questions answered and explore topics like financial aid, scholarships, and making your app stand out.

Apr 11

Join Associate Director of Graduate Recruitment and Admissions, Ashley Madigan, as well as D'Amore-McKim alumni, to explore how their graduate business education has helped them face business challenges and seize opportunities in today's data-driven economy.

Related Programs